More Control over your character's traits?

[Aliksander]

Hey, just wanted to bring up something I've been frustrated with in the course of games I've played and wondering if there is a solution out there.

So I've noticed that when I play, I actually have less control over my character's traits than I would like, especially when they are tied to ambitions. For example, every time I take on the 'Improve personal combat skill' ambition I hardly ever get events that actually allow me to do anything to forward that goal. Most times I leave the trait active and many years later nothing has occurred to improve the skill, even if I go to war and lead armies in multiple battle. Eventually I just cancel it and lose all that time. Shouldn't there be ways to actually improve it, like taking on a tutor, or working out. Every option can have positive and negative attributes associated with it for balance. For example, working out can increase your strength or at least remove the 'weak' trait, but you also have a chance to injure yourself and time away from governing makes your stewardship lower. If your ambition is you want to fall in love, you can choose to spend more time with your spouse/lover (Let's call the action 'Romancing' to differentiate it from 'Seduce') and that can increase the chance of falling in love with them, but it also has a chance to damage your relationship, especially if you have conflicting traits (Ambitious vs. Content, etc.). Every one of these will obviously have some up front cost (gold/prestige/piety/vassal relations/ etc.) and some could only be available with certain ambitions in combination with focuses, like 'Romancing' your spouse would only be available with the "Fall in Love" Ambition and 'Family' Focus active.

Another thing I've noticed happening is losing traits randomly without choice or reason. Sometimes my character will be 'Just', and one day out of the blue I will get an event that says my character simply doesn't want to be Just anymore. It's a really annoying predicament and I hate correcting it with the console. I would prefer it if instead there was always an actual event choice comes up that 'challenges' the trait, but always gives you the choice to keep it or allow it to be lost. Maybe like if you are Just and low on money/income you get an event that says you came upon an opportunity to make a large amount of money, but you have to lose the Just trait. It would be tempting for someone to take the money due to dire financial straits or deal with the money problems and keep the positive attribute.

These are just some suggestions, but I was wondering what would be involved in making them reality, and if anyone else is interested in this... or should I just content myself with using dirty console cheats,

 

[LordPeter]

So I've noticed that when I play, I actually have less control over my character's traits than I would like, especially when they are tied to ambitions. For example, every time I take on the 'Improve personal combat skill' ambition I hardly ever get events that actually allow me to do anything to forward that goal. Most times I leave the trait active and many years later nothing has occurred to improve the skill, even if I go to war and lead armies in multiple battle. Eventually I just cancel it and lose all that time. Shouldn't there be ways to actually improve it, like taking on a tutor, or working out. Every option can have positive and negative attributes associated with it for balance. For example, working out can increase your strength or at least remove the 'weak' trait, but you also have a chance to injure yourself and time away from governing makes your stewardship lower. If your ambition is you want to fall in love, you can choose to spend more time with your spouse/lover (Let's call the action 'Romancing' to differentiate it from 'Seduce') and that can increase the chance of falling in love with them, but it also has a chance to damage your relationship, especially if you have conflicting traits (Ambitious vs. Content, etc.). Every one of these will obviously have some up front cost (gold/prestige/piety/vassal relations/ etc.) and some could only be available with certain ambitions in combination with focuses, like 'Romancing' your spouse would only be available with the "Fall in Love" Ambition and 'Family' Focus active.

A fair point.
Writing stuff like this is a lot of work though, and some stuff would be "doubles" of events from the WoL DLC.
But you are right, these could use some love. Maybe post your ideas in the suggestion thread, so we can find them again.

Another thing I've noticed happening is losing traits randomly without choice or reason. Sometimes my character will be 'Just', and one day out of the blue I will get an event that says my character simply doesn't want to be Just anymore. It's a really annoying predicament and I hate correcting it with the console. I would prefer it if instead there was always an actual event choice comes up that 'challenges' the trait, but always gives you the choice to keep it or allow it to be lost. Maybe like if you are Just and low on money/income you get an event that says you came upon an opportunity to make a large amount of money, but you have to lose the Just trait. It would be tempting for someone to take the money due to dire financial straits or deal with the money problems and keep the positive attribute.

That is vanilla. I believe it fires when a character is over a certain number of traits, five I think.
Tbh I don't know when this is called exactly, and I agree with you that it should give you at least a tiny bit of choice. At least the player, for AI it's fine to keep their number of traits in check.
Again, maybe post this as a concrete suggestion in the suggestions thread, otherwise this thread here will get overlooked and forgotten. Then if one of my superiors tells me how this works, I might look into it.
Dunno why when though, no promises. But yeah good points

(edited for correction of mistake)

 

[Aliksander]

A fair point.
Writing stuff like this is a lot of work though, and some stuff would be "doubles" of events from the WoL DLC.
But you are right, these could use some love. Maybe post your ideas in the suggestion thread, so we can find them again.


That is vanilla. I believe it fires when a character is over a certain number of traits, five I think.
Tbh I don't know when this is called exactly, and I agree with you that it should give you at least a tiny bit of choice. At least the player, for AI it's fine to keep their number of traits in check.
Again, maybe post this as a concrete suggestion in the suggestions thread, otherwise this thread here will get overlooked and forgotten. Then if one of my superiors tells me how this works, I might look into it.
Dunno why though, no promises. But yeah good points

Thanks for the reply! I will see about fleshing it out some more. Like I said just wanted to know if it was possible/cared about by anyone but me.

So I'm not good at coding or anything like that, should I just try to write up sequences of event pop-ups and choices, and leave them in the suggestions thread?

 

[LordPeter]

You can suggest whatever you want, I just can't guarantee it'll end up like your suggestion
These events are necessary for the AI, so we'd probably first have to just disable them for players. But then, we'd need something else because otherwiese players will end up with an ever increasing amount of traits.
So yeah, suggest as you like, but simpler events would be preferable imo, as there are a lot of traits to cover. But if you have a cool idea how to make it immersive (i.e. not like currently "I don't like being just anymore for... some reason"), go ahead and suggest it!

Oh and my post above should read "dunno when though", as this is not a priority. But worth looking into at some point.

 

[vukica]

I'll lift the personality traits up to 9 for the player. Ai will stay limited to 6.

 

[Aliksander]

Sounds good, and I understand this is all tentative and such and that I have no clue as to the actual work involved in any of these changes so I really appreciate you guys hearing me out on this.

 

[LordPeter]

I'll lift the personality traits up to 9 for the player. Ai will stay limited to 6.

I don't think the issue is the amount itself, but rather the way surplus traits are removed, giving no choice or explanation.
But I'll get back to that later, could become a minor side project of mine.

 

[vukica]

I don't think the issue is the amount itself, but rather the way surplus traits are removed, giving no choice or explanation.
But I'll get back to that later, could become a minor side project of mine.

I realize that, but it's 50 events that remove traits, and as you know I'm adding something else to the mod right now.

 

[LordPeter]

I realize that, but it's 50 events that remove traits, and as you know I'm adding something else to the mod right now.

Yeah I know, that's why I said I might look into it personally. Nothing you need to worry about, I'll talk to you again when I get around to doing this.
Anyway, what you said (more traits allowed) is a fine solution for now.